Updated on 05:03 p.m. Moscow Time
MOSCOW, September 3 (RIA Novosti) – Ukraine plans to build a wall along its border with Russia in six months, the Kiev government said in its National Renewal plan released Wednesday.
“The Wall Project to build and equip a reinforced barrier between Ukraine and Russia [should be completed] within six months,” the plan says.
Earlier the same day, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said “this is the construction of an actual state border between Ukraine and the Russian Federation.” Yatsenyuk also stressed the need to adopt a new military stance reflecting Russia as an “aggressor nation,” which threatens the territorial integrity and national security of Ukraine.
On August 28, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko canceled his trip to Turkey in light of Russian troops allegedly crossing into Ukraine to assist independence supporters in the east of the country.
Moscow called Kiev’s claims groundless and said they are a publicity stunt that is unlikely to surprise anyone in the international community. Russia’s EU envoy Vladimir Chizhov said such claims were sparked by Kiev’s attempts to justify its military setbacks in the east and downplay the results of recent talks in Minsk.
On August 26, multilateral talks took place in the Belarusian capital of Minsk, attended by the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan as well as European Union officials. The talks touched on several urgent matters, including the crisis in eastern Ukraine, gas issues and the Russian food import ban. Russia, Belarus and EU representatives claim the Minsk talks were a step in the right direction.
